16 March 2026  The jewellery collection Aurelia, designed by Timo Küchler for the German manufacturer Ehinger Schwarz 1876, a subsidiary of Dorotheum, has received the German Design Award 2026 in the category Excellent Product Design – Luxury Goods. The pieces are now available in Austria exclusively through Dorotheum Juwelier, the jewellery division of the historic Viennese auction house founded in 1707. The award ceremony took place on 6 February 2026 in Frankfurt am Main. The distinction recognises products that demonstrate innovative design and technological advancement. In the case of Aurelia, the jury highlighted the combination of digital design methods with an aesthetic inspired by natural phenomena. A designer between craft and digital technologyKüchler has been Head of Design at Ehinger Schwarz since 2015. In this role he oversees the development of new jewellery collections and the integration of digital technologies into the company's design process. Before joining the Ulm-based manufacturer, he worked for two decades as Head of Design at Niessing, another German jewellery brand.He studied jewellery design at the University of Applied Sciences in Schwäbisch Gmünd and later worked as an independent product designer for several companies in different design fields. Over the years his work has received several international distinctions, including multiple Red Dot Design Awards and earlier German Design Awards for other jewellery concepts. Küchler is known for combining traditional goldsmith craftsmanship with digital tools such as computer-aided design (CAD). In Aurelia this approach plays a central role in shaping the visual language of the collection. From sea foam to digital structureThe idea for the jewellery originated from a personal observation. Küchler describes watching sea foam shimmering in the evening light during a moment by the ocean. The irregular movement and overlapping bubbles became the starting point for the design.To translate this natural impression into jewellery, Küchler used CAD software to construct a three-dimensional lattice made of hundreds of small spheres. Each sphere was positioned individually within the digital model. The result is a structure that appears organic and slightly chaotic but is precisely calculated. This digital model forms the basis for the production process. A high-resolution wax model is created through 3D printing and then cast in 585 rose gold using the lost-wax casting method. After casting, goldsmiths refine the surface and set the diamonds by hand. The technique allows a complex, light-permeable structure that would be difficult to achieve through traditional manual fabrication alone. Design trends highlighted in the 2026 reportThe award is accompanied each year by a design trend analysis from the German Design Council, the organisation behind the German Design Award. The 2026 report, titled "Trendradar", was published at the same time as the ceremony.According to the report, contemporary design is increasingly understood as a system that combines aesthetics, technology and social relevance. Among the key developments identified are the growing role of artificial intelligence and digital modelling in shaping physical objects and environments. Designers are also exploring how digital tools can enable new forms and structures that were previously impossible to manufacture. Another trend highlighted is the idea of "Super Normal" design, a concept associated with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. It emphasises clarity, restraint and objects that integrate naturally into everyday life rather than attracting attention through excess. The report also notes the rising importance of collaborative design processes and interdisciplinary thinking, as well as the influence of digital environments such as virtual architecture and the metaverse on physical design practices. Where trends and jewellery design intersectSeveral of these themes can be observed in the Aurelia collection. The design demonstrates how digital modelling can transform natural inspiration into a structured object. The CAD-based design method allows the spheres to merge into a fluid lattice that reflects light and creates the impression of movement.At the same time, the visual language of the jewellery remains close to natural forms. The overlapping spheres resemble soap bubbles or sea foam, linking digital precision with organic inspiration. This combination of advanced technology and nature-derived aesthetics was one of the reasons cited by the jury for selecting Aurelia for the German Design Award 2026. Image: Rose gold ring from the 'Aurelia' jewellery collection featuring a lattice of spherical elements and diamonds, designed using CAD technology and awarded the German Design Award 2026. The collection was designed by Timo Küchler for Ehinger Schwarz by Dorotheum GmbH. |